You Can't Help But Smile
by werewolfsgirl
Summary: Ever wonder what the group looked like from the outside? Read to find out my take on what that picture could be. :D
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I got this idea from reading a fanfic for the X-Men (don't judge me :D) and I thought that it would make a really cool one-shot for our little band of misfits. I love this idea, though. I started to wonder what they would like to outsiders, random people that refuse to see what's there or what is there. Fascianating to think about.**

**So first, I need to give credit to Tarafina for thinking of the "random stranger POV" first. I'm just going to give it my view of how the world sees our little group. :D**

**And secondly, the Edison Group is gone. :D So, this way, I get to set the pace and not make them run.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers. I just like to play with the characters. :D**

**Now that that's out of the way, on with the one-shot. Enjoy. :D**

You Can't Help But Smile

**Stranger #1**

Walking among the clothes racks in yet another trendy store that my daughters drug me to, I couldn't help but notice the rather odd-looking group of teens browsing through the racks.

One was a rather cute blond Asian, who had a look of "I'd-rather-be-anywhere-but-here" on his face as he listened to a black-haired beauty who was basically insulting how he dressed, rather bitchily, too.

Off to the side, there was a hulking figure with dark hair that hid his eyes and a disconcerting air about his that made me want to run screaming from the store. Standing beside him, there was a girl-child. She had her hand over her mouth in an effort to stop her giggles at the scene before her.

Suddenly, he pulled her to him in a rather rough way, almost bordering on abusive for how much the girl weighed. She slammed into his torso as he _growled_.

Quickly turning away, I signaled to my girls that we were leaving. I wanted to be out of before they started trouble.

**Stranger #2 (a man)**

Sitting down at the table in the food court, I couldn't help but look up from my meal at the sound of a pretty laugh from a few tables over.

What I saw was four teenagers that looked like they had nothing in common. There was a blond Asian that looked rather easy-going and jockish, a gorgeous dark-haired teen that looked so stuck-up that she might have a broomstick stuck up her ass, a small blond girl-child that was the source of the laugh, and a rather intimidating looking brute that looked like he'd rather go kill something than sit there.

Considering all of this, at first glance, you couldn't tell why they were hanging out together. But as I sat and ate my lunch, I started to notice things.

The blond boy and the dark-haired girl weren't fighting, they were bantering affectionately. You could tell by the grins that they flashed at the brutish boy and the small girl when the other wasn't looking and by the twinkle in their eyes as they went back and forth, enjoying slinging com-backs.

The big guy had his arm draped over the back of the small blonde's chair. Every once in a while he'd smirk at the banter in front of him while the small girl laughed. Every so often he'd lean down and whisper something in her ear, either causing her to blush or lean up against his side affectionately, intimately. One could wonder what the small blond saw in the big brute, but you wouldn't have to look very far to know. It was in the way he sat by her, protectively. Or the way he'd play with the ends of her hair as it brushed against his arm, or it could have been the small smile he'd give her when she laughed or slung a come-back at the two in front of them.

One could also wonder what he saw in the small girl. Again, you wouldn't have to look very far to know. For her size, she didn't show any fear of him, and she was comfortable being so near him. There weren't many others around their table, obviously made uncomfortable by him, but she made sure he knew that she wasn't cowed by his presence by keeping a hand on his knee, occasionally leaning into him. It was in the secret smile she gave only him, or the way she played with his hand that would brush against her shoulders, tickling her. It was in the way that she looked at him, like he was the only man for her, making sure he knew that he was cared for and nothing would change that.

I smiled as I finished my lunch.

It's amazing what a little observation reveals to someone who has the ability to look at the underlying gestures.

It's amazing and you can't help but smile as you realize that sometimes, differences are what defines relationships, that those differences make another love you.

You can't help but smile at life's sweet lessons.

**So? What'd you think? I liked the contrast of the two totally different strangers. I, for one, love to people watch, so I brought that element to the table and thought I did alright. Review! Please! Let me know what you think. :D**


	2. I Can't Help But Hope

**Author's Note: So, rereading the first part of this little story, I was struggling for an idea of how to write something new and wouldn't be a repeat of the first. I think I got it. :D It might seem like a random story, but there is a method to the madness, promise. :D Anyways, it might take a little while to get to the heart of the story (the actual thoughts on the whole group), but I think it's worth the patience. :D **

**And in the first part, I had said that this was going to be a one-shot. I unintentionally lied to everyone. Apparently there are people who want more from-the-outside-looking-in view. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.**

**Hope ya'll like it. :D**

I Can't Help But Hope

**Queen Bee of the School POV**

As I sat there, glaring at my current boyfriend, I wondered how my life had turned out so bizarre, and so…fake.

On the outside, I had it made. On a "hottie" scale of one to ten, I could easily rate an eleven. I'm the most popular girl in school, and with that perk, I have the hottest boy in school…the quarterback of the football team to boot. I was getting good grades, had a group of friends that followed me everywhere, and I was always dressed in the newest fashions.

But I'm not happy.

Let me explain. I gained my popularity by lies and cruelty. I got the hot boyfriend because I stole him from the former queen bee. The friends that followed me everywhere used to be the former queen bee's friends…I stole them, too. They were my friends out of fear. Being dressed in the newest fashions meant that I had to dress like a slut everyday of my life…which isn't me. I'm still a virgin, would love to wear jeans and a hoodie sometimes, and get rid of the killer heels. Not dress like a slut and be hated for what I'm not. Plus, I have to hide who I really am…which is a necromancer.

Which brings me to my current position of sitting in the school cafeteria, glaring at my boyfriend and wishing that I wasn't me.

"I just don't understand why not." Blake, the boyfriend, ground out at me.

"Because I said no. I'm not ready for that." This was getting old. Blake had been pressuring me to have sex with him. This was the third time today he'd brought the subject up and the billioneth time since our first kiss…three weeks ago.

As I sat there, fuming silently, I noticed that he kept eyeing every chick that passed by the table. _I can't stand this life anymore._

"You know what Blake?" He turned to me. "I'm done. Done with your sorry ass and done with this scene. It's over." Jumping for joy on the inside, I stood up ready to walk away.

As I was turning, I was stopped by cruelty.

"You know what? I'm glad that we're over. I can finally have my fun. _Kristy_ has been telling to dump your skanky ass for weeks." _Kristy? Oh, God…_ She had been my "best friend" since I transferred to this school a month ago. I had told her almost everything, thinking that I could trust her. As I looked around the table, not one look of concern passed over anyone's face. And Kristy looked crashed down on me like a ton of bricks. Tears welled up. I walked away from the table as fast as I could in four-inch heels and just made it to the bathroom before breaking down.

As I sat there, sobbing on the bathroom floor, two girls came into the bathroom.

I sat up, trying to pull it together, but failing.

They were quiet as they stood in front of the mirror. I looked up, noticing who they were for the first time. It was…Tori, the former queen bee, and the blond chick she always hung with…Casey? Connie? Chloe? Yeah, Chloe.

Tori was fixing her make-up, pointedly ignoring me. Chloe was studying me like an alien life-form. I suppose it was fitting. Afterall, you don't normally see the "queen bee" on the bathroom floor in tears.

I looked away, ashamed of how I had treated them and not wanting to show them anymore weakness. Chloe must have seen something in my expression, because she took a step towards me.

"Chloe…" Tori warned.

She turned to look at Tori. "Shut it, Tori. Yell at me later."

That shut Tori up. I was shocked, and for the moment, my tears had stopped.

Chloe slowly walked towards me, like she thought she might scare me if she made any sudden movements. When she reached me, instead of insulting me like anyone else probably would have, she sat down next to me.

"Obviously something is wrong. You are in here on the floor, crying, and your friends are nowhere to be seen and neither is your boyfriend." She looked at me, "If you want to talk to me you can, or you can tell me to go away. Your choice. Just know that I'll listen and whatever you say won't leave this room."

Her kindness surprised me. I had been nasty to her, making fun of her stutter and few other things, but here she was, offering me help. This and the recent boyfriend incident sent me over the edge. I started sobbing again and she just moved closer so that I could lean on her. It was the first time anyone had shown kindness to me since fifth grade when I started to climb the social food-chain.

"I-I..br-bro-br-broke up with B-B-Blake. And h-he told me t-th-t-that he had-d ch-cheated o-on m-me. W-With Kristy." I tensed, waiting for the worst.

Chloe just grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I heard Tori's sigh in the background.

Knowing that I needed to pull myself together and get cleaned up, I somehow pulled myself together. After I had quieted, Chloe stood up and held out her hand to me. Timidly taking it, she helped me to my feet. I looked in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, my nose had turned crimson, my mascara had run, leaving tracks down my cheeks, I had bitten my lip from trying not to cry in the cafeteria. In short, I looked like shit. And I felt even worse.

Even though I wasn't close to either of the girls, somehow they understood that I was in no condition to finish the rest of the school day. They looked at each other, nodded.

"Let's go. We're getting out of here." Tori stated, miraculously having as change of heart towards me for the moment. She looked to Chloe. "Chlo, could you go tell the guys what's going on and grab our stuff from the lockers?"

"Yeah. Meet you at the car, but if I'm not outside in fifteen minutes, run." She grinned at Tori.

Obvioulsy, there was an inside joke. Tori smirked. "You bet your ass I'll run. You know he always thinks we're up to something."

Chloe just smirked. "Well, considering all that you and me have stirred up, he's become suspicious of anything that we do together without them."

Tori just chuckled and started out the door. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at me, waiting.

I silently followed while Chloe went the other way, towards the lockers.

Tori and I slipped out of the school and made our way to a mud-covered, beat-up Land Rover. Tori must have seen my surprised look.

She grinned. "The guys and us girls have a thing for mudding. Especially Chloe and Derek. They love tearing it up out in a field."

"Derek?"

"Chloe's boyfriend."

"That big ass dude is Chloe's boyfriend?" I was astonished.

Tori glared at me. "If you say one bad word about him, you can find another way home."

"I wasn't going to. I was just shocked that he even spoke to anyone at school, let alone had a girlfriend."

"Good." Tori gestured to the back seat. "Get in."

I climbed in, questioning everything that I thought to be true. Chloe was nice and not some stupid bimbo. Tori wasn't a total bitch, like I had thought she was, and was friends with _Derek_, he who spoke to no one in school. What else was gonna happen today?

As I sat pondering what I had learned, Chloe ran out of the building. She reached the Rover, threw the backpacks in the back and hopped in the front seat. As soon as she was in, Tori took off like a bat out of Hell.

Tori glanced at Chloe. "What'd they say?"

"Simon didn't understand why we were helping her, but didn't put up a fight. Derek…was not happy. He didn't understand what we were doing and started to fight with me. So I batted my eyes, bit my lip, and turned him into a puddle." _Simon Bae? How was he involved?_

Tori laughed. "What happened then?"

"Well, I almost got away with that, but Simon had to open his mouth and Derek snapped out of it. So I had to promise that we would be fine and then I had to promise him something." Chloe blushed slightly, making me wonder what she had to promise.

Tori smirked. "And just what was this promise?"

Chloe chuckled. "Let's just say that it involves a tennis ball and bathing suits."

_I am sooo confused._

Tori howled with laughter. "Oh. My. God! He did not ask for that!"

Chloe smiled. "Umm…yeah, he did. I think it was his way of making sure that skipping was important. Oh, and we have to be home by the time they get home."

Tori got herself under control. "Still can't believe that. Oh, well. Put some music on. Something good."

_Please don't put anything "popular" in. I can't take it right now._

To my utter surprise, a band I didn't know came on. _Things just keep getting weirder by the second._

"Who is this?"

Chloe glanced at me. "Theory of a Deadman." She smiled softly at me. "Simon and Derek converted us to the dark side. We listen to the more popular stuff every once in a while, but we prefer our rock music."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say. I mean, Tori and Chloe were different than I had judged them to be. I would have thought that they would be nasty to the "queen bee". Instead they were being kind to me, helping me. Instead of being nervous of me, they were confident and they didn't care what I thought of them.

As I sat there, reflecting on what had happened, I realized that I felt kind of nervous around them. I was out of my element. I was so used to listening to the bubbly popular music, used to making people nervous, used to always being the center of envy. I was out of my element…and I liked it. These girls were real, genuine, and they were happy with their lives. They weren't cruel to people who deserved harsh judgment and they certainly didn't envy me.

Every once in a while, Tori would break me out of my musings to ask for directions to my house. Once we got there, they didn't even flinch at the mansion that I shared with my Mom and Dad, who were never there, and my housekeeper. I didn't want to get out of the vehicle. I wanted to stay with them, learn how to be a real person, maybe make a friend or two.

Tori looked at me. "You just gonna sit there, or are you gonna go in and change your clothes?"

I thought they were going to leave me to deal with everything by myself. My face must have projected my thoughts because Chloe spoke up.

"We aren't going anywhere. We both know that you need a friend right now and no one from your group is here, so we volunteered. Go change." She smiled at me to soften her words.

Nodding, I silently went to do as I was told.

I ran upstairs and changed into jeans, t-shirt, and flip flops. I went in the bathroom, scrubbed my face, and put on some mascara and lip gloss, deciding that this would be as far as I would go with make-up from now on unless I had a date. _Time to start being real._

I grabbed a jacket and ran back downstairs. As I opened the front door, I was happy to see that they were still there, shocked but happy. I climbed in the back seat and Tori took off.

We stopped at a gas station. Chloe turned to me.

"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

I was confused as hell, but I answered. "Rocky Road."

"Okay. Be right back." She hopped out and went in. A few minutes later, she came back out, holding a bulging bag.

As soon as she was in, Tori took off. Fifteen minutes later, Tori pulled into the driveway of a pretty house. It was situated by some woods, and there were a few big trees in the yard. The house itself was yellow with blue and white trim. There were lilacs in front of the wraparound porch and there were giant snowball bushes scattered in the yard. On the porch was a swing and next to that were three rocking chairs. _It's so peaceful._

We walked up the steps, entering the house. At once, I noticed that it wasn't a house, it was a home. It was nice and clean, but felt lived in. The living room was done in green earth tones and on the couches were a few discarded hoodies, there were a some movies left out on the TV stand, and there was a romance novel and a suspense novel left on the coffee table. _I love it here and I've only seen the living room._ We made our way to the kitchen where Chloe went to put away her purchases. She pulled out six containers of Haagen-Dazs ice cream, including a Rocky Road, some chocolate bars, Fritos, Twizzlers, Reese's Pieces, Pringles, cotton candy, pretzels, popcorn, and sugar-free Jell-O. She saw my bewildered look at all the junk food and smiled.

"We have three guys living here. The junk food must always be replenished in case of starvation."

I giggled, loving her sense of humor. Then I realized that I hadn't truly found anything funny in a long time.

Tori sat down at the counter, snagging a chocolate bar. She glanced at me, saying, "You can sit down if you want."

Not hesitating, I took a seat. Not sure what to do, I just sat there, staring at the countertop. Chloe slid a spoon and the ice cream over to me. Smiling at her, I dug in to the creamy goodness. _Heaven in a spoon._

Taking a deep breath, I asked the question the I had been wanting to ask all along. "Why are you guys being so nice to me? I know that I've been terrible to you for the past month."

They both stared at me. Tori turned to Chloe. "You wanna answer?"

"Because you're a person and no one deserves to be treated cruelly. There are the occasional exceptions, but in general, no one deserves cruelty."

Tears welled up in my eyes. _I don't understand such selflessness._ I nodded. "Thank you for this. Today, I realized how horrible a person I've become and that I hated being someone that I'm not. I truly am sorry for what I've said and done to you both. I hope that you accept my apology."

Chloe smiled at me. "Apology accepted." Tori nodded at me, mouth full of chocolate.

As Chloe was making the Jell-O, a ghost popped into the kitchen. _Oh. No. Not here, not now. I don't want to deal with this in front of them._

To my surprise, the ghost ignored me and started talking to Chloe, who smiled…_directly at her._ _Huh?_

The ghost finally noticed me and signaled to Chloe. She looked at her and then at me, wide eyed.

"Are you…?" I couldn't bring myself to ask.

"A necromancer? Yeah."

"Oh, my God." I almost fell off the chair in amazement.

Tori perked up. "Do what?"

Still staring at me, Chloe answered. "She's a necromancer, too."

Tori whipped around to face me. "Well, I'll be damned."

"What are you? If you know about us, then you have to be a supernatural, too."

She smirked. "I'm a witch/sorcerer hybrid."

"Ooookay."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"Wow." Chloe seemed dumbfounded.

"Yeah…" Tori took a deep breath.

"You know, I have yet to meet and albino." Tori and Chloe burst out laughing and things seemed to go back to normal. Chloe stuck the Jell-O in the fridge to set and for the next couple of hours, we sat and talked about anything and everything.

As we were sitting there, we heard a truck pull up and the doors slam. The front door opened to reveal Simon Bae and Derek Souza standing on the porch.

Seeing Derek, Chloe flew into his arms. He gave her a small smile and held her close. She stood up on her tip toes and her bent down, meeting her to give her a kiss. _It's like they were made for one another._ Simon smiled and step around them, walking into the kitchen. He waved at me and eyed Tori, smirking.

"How come I don't get a warm welcome like Derek, Tori?"

She glared at him. "You are nasty Simon."

He busted out laughing. I could hear a deep rumble from the other room and whispering, then a chuckle from Chloe.

They walked into the kitchen and Chloe hopped up on the counter, mirth shining in her eyes.

"Awww, poor Simon. Do you need a hug?" She bit her lip to hold back the laugh trying to escape.

He sulked over to her, playfully pouting, nodding his head. "Derek is mean and won't share and Tori won't give me a warm welcome."

Chloe patted his head. "Will it make you feel better if I tell you there's Jell-O in the fridge?"

Simon perked up. "For me?"

"All for you." Chloe smiled as he ran for the fridge. She glanced over at Derek, catching his eye and grinning at him. He walked over to where she was sitting and stepped between her legs, holding her to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He buried his face in her neck and stayed there. I noticed that he seemed to relax just standing there, holding her. _I want that. That quiet intimacy that isn't demanding more, that contentment to just be in each other's arms._ He pulled away and turned around, leaning against the counter with Chloe behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his back.

He fixed me with a glare. "Why did they have to leave with you today?"

I wanted to cower under the counter, but I held my ground, sensing that if I did that, I'd lose what little friendship I had with Chloe and Tori, and the chance to become his and Simon's friend.

"I broke up with my boyfriend, found out he was cheating on me, and then realized that my friends weren't my friends." I stared right back at him. "Chloe and Tori were kind enough to let take me home and let me hang out with them so that I could calm down."

He nodded and seemed satisfied that I was telling the truth. Chloe whispered something that only he could hear and his head snapped up.

"You're a necromancer?"

I nodded, not sure where this is going. Simon turned around, spooning Jell-O into his mouth. "I'm a sorcerer."

I looked at Derek, not sure what he was. Chloe must have guessed what was on my mind, cuz she poked Derek in the side. He growled, not wanting to answer. The growl, the protective stance, the muscles…"You're a werewolf?"

He tensed, nodding. I could see Chloe rub circles into his back, whispering to him. He calmed down, slightly, but still glaring at me.

"Okay." I went back to my ice cream, trying to play off the "I'm-a-werewolf" as no big deal. I wasn't sure about Derek, but I gave it my best shot not to act weirded out. I noticed that Chloe smiled at me from behind Derek.

Over the next hour, I watched these four people interact. I was amazed. They were a family, they all loved each other as they were, not expecting anyone to change to suit everyone else's' needs.

Simon, who was outgoing at school, was outgoing here, but more open, like he didn't have a care in the world. He was teased and he teased right back, loving the bantering. Tori, who was very bitchy at school, was fun and lighthearted, loving that she got to be who she really was, not having to act a certain way to get people to respect her, to leave her alone. Derek, who basically never spoke at school, was laughing, being affectionate with Chloe and slinging come-backs at Tori. Chloe was laughing, talking, never stuttering, smiling, and just content to sit in the kitchen and have her family with her. Derek would whisper something to her and she'd laugh or blush. She leaned against him, with her arms draped around his neck, blissful. You could tell that he cherished the contact, loving that she was so open in her love for him.

As I sat there, learning that these four people were nothing like I imagined them to be, I couldn't help but hope that I would be accepted into this little group of friends.

I couldn't help but hope that today was the first of many more days that I got to have real friends and learn to live my life according to me and not society.

And I couldn't help but hope that one day I would find a guy who would love me for me and not ask me to change myself, that I would find a love like Derek and Chloe's. A love that would compliment me, make me glow like Chloe, instead of change me for the worse.

I can't help but hope for a better tomorrow.

Suddenly, Simon looked at me, smiling slightly. "I was wondering, if tomorrow, you wanted to eat lunch with us?"

Smiling, suddenly shy, I nodded my head.

Simon smiled at me, Tori smirked her approval, Chloe grinned, and Derek nodded.

"Great. We'll be in the library. On Thursdays, we eat there to study, hang out, whatever we want. So, just meet us there." Chloe told me, letting me in on their rituals.

I guess hoping for a better tomorrow sometimes works.

**So? What'd you think? Please let me know. I was not entirely sure of where I was going with this. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Sooo…review please!**


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